Kirkus Reviews Praises "The Seventh Effect"

Kuch’s debut thriller combines technology and an unusual method of terrorism. Former cop Duane Rondo has fallen into a job near Washington, D.C., using a program called ISPI to gather information—even the smallest details—on individuals who seem suspicious or are running for a position in the government. That’s how he discovers the perfectly clear record of Sybille Haskin, a nominee for secretary of Homeland Security, and comes to the conclusion that someone is tampering with top-secret, supposedly secure information in order to make sure Haskin lands the governmental position. Rondo will stop at nothing to get the information he wants, from giving Haskin a ticket she doesn’t deserve in order to track it through ISPI, to taking her to bed.

What follows is a tumble down a rabbit hole of suspicion within the organization, a hunt for Rondo by amateur terrorists, spying, techno-speak, unanticipated humor and a galvanizing chase scene that ends in another country. The story is also sprinkled with hints of information via ISPI searches regarding the long-term effects of the nonfatal mustard gas to be used in a massive terror plot. The concept of slow-moving, silent terrorism is unnerving and the intended execution of the plot to spread mustard gas seems feasible. The story presents an atypical terrorism concept, a shocking dose of humor and a handful of riveting scenes. [abridged]